STORY ARCHIVE

African Livestock

TRANSCRIPT

The ABC acknowledges the provision of free goods and services by the not-for-profit organisation, The Crawford Fund, which promotes and supports international agricultural research and development.

Across the developing world, pressures from climate change, increased population and loss of arable land means farmers need all the help they can get. Paul Willis goes to Kenya where farmers are rediscovering native livestock breeds. Traits that used to devalue indigenous cattle and sheep are now seen in a more favourable light and local farmers are reaping the benefits of reintroducing old breeds into new herds.

NARRATIONThere's a genetic revolution on the farms of the developing world. Kenyan farmers are re-discovering useful breeds, some of which have almost been neglected into extinction.

Dr Paul WillisAll across the developing world, pressures from climate change, increased population and loss of arable land, means that farmers need all the help they can get, just to feed the people. And a surprising source of help comes from the genes of unusual breeds like this one.

NARRATIONThese are Ankole cattle, one of several indigenous breeds found exclusively in Africa. And here, at the International Livestock Research Institute, indigenous breeds are the life's work of Dr Okeyo Mwai.

Dr Okeyo Mwai I have a passion for studying indigenous, genetic animal resources. One because they were branded as not being very productive, and for a long time, not enough research focus was put on them. We are talking over a hundred and fifty breeds of cattle alone in Africa.

NARRATIONThere are many reasons why Africa's indigenous breeds have been ignored until recent times.

Dr Okeyo Mwai Most of the developing countries went through a colonial phase. The indigenous animals were not seen to be productive enough.

NARRATIONBut now, the native livestock are making a comeback, as Ranch Manager, Simon Kibiru explains.

Dr Paul WillisWhat sort of cattle are we looking at here, Simon?

Simon KibiruWe're looking at the Duruma cattle.

Dr Paul WillisThey look quite small to me.

Simon KibiruYeah, this breed is from very dry country, and actually the body seems to be smaller so that they can be able to survive in the driest areas.

NARRATIONTraits that used to count against native cattle are now seen in a more favourable light. Local farmers are reaping the benefits of re-introducing old breeds into new herds.

Dr Paul WillisNow if I saw these in Australia, I'd think they were Brahmins, but they're not, are they?

Simon KibiruNo, they are not Brahmins. These are East African Borans. They can withstand diseases that are found in this area. And they are very good for meat.

NARRATIONAnd it's not just the cattle herds that benefit from this re-think in livestock management. Dorper sheep are a breed developed by the South African government to grow meat quickly in arid areas. But these Dorpers have been cross-bred with a very special local - Red Maasai sheep.

Dr Paul WillisThey don't produce wool, they've got hair, and when it comes to meat production, there are other breeds that produce a lot more meat. But these guys have got a genetic trick which will be very valuable, not only to African sheep farmers, but to sheep farmers around the world.

Dr Okeyo Mwai We have found that they have a genetic ability to resist a high infestation with worms. We know that it's inheritable, therefore it is carried within the genes of the Red Maasai.

NARRATIONDorpers on the other hand are vulnerable to parasites, especially during times of drought.

Dr Okeyo Mwai This animal is very anaemic.

NARRATIONAnaemia is one of the first signs of worm infestation.

Dr Okeyo Mwai So this is a Dorper animal. It's anaemic. Lots of worms. Last year, when we had one of the worst droughts, most of the people here lost almost sixty per cent of their Dorper herd.

NARRATIONBy introducing the Red Maasai bloodline to the Dorper flock, farmers hope for the best of both worlds - resistance to worms, while maintaining a decent body weight. It's a balancing act between genomics and economics. Okeyo has been working with this farmer for over twenty years to improve his flock. It all paid off during the drought, when his herd came through with fewer losses than many of his neighbours.

Dr Paul WillisOkeyo, I'm no sheep expert, but these sheep look to be in better condition, they look fatter than the ones that we saw earlier on in the day, and yet the land seems to be about the same, so what's the difference, what's happening?

Dr Okeyo Mwai Oh, the difference is very simple. This farmer is keener, he's been doing his breeding much better. He's more focused and started earlier returning to the Red Maasai, indigenous Red Maasai sheep.

NARRATIONBack in Nairobi, Okeyo keeps extensive stud books and other data for tracking successes and failures over many generations. Today, he can also call upon DNA technology to assist him in the quest for a better African flock.

Dr Okeyo Mwai Our job is to race against time, not to lose the genes that are already there. So as the genomic tools are becoming much more affordable, sooner or later we're beginning to have the whole sequence of the sheep genome.

NARRATIONBy pinning down these valuable indigenous genes before they become extinct, researchers hope to bring a bit of Red Maasai toughness to sheep across the globe.

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Alison Parker - 14 Jul 2011 9:23:21pm

I was particularly interested in your short remark about Boran cattle;I was brought up on a ranch in the Laikipia district, where my father bred Boran-Ayrshire crosses, latermore like 100% Boran, for more thanfifty years. I think some credit could be given to the European settlers who started breeding programmes with native and exotic (ie European breeds) early in the 20th. century.